Baldwin County hammers out agreement for Live Oak Landing purchase (Updated)

BAY MINETTE, Alabama -- After hours of negotiations and tense moments, Baldwin County commissioners voted to buy a portion of the Live Oak Landing parcel for $3.07 million.

The action came after commissioners were poised to kill the deal and transfer grant funding to road paving. They delayed a vote when property owners said they were ready to take the county's $3.07 million offer for part of the property, but have only asked for their help dealing with the state.

Commissioners had been set to vote today to effectively kill the 5-year effort to buy Live Oak Landing.

Commissioners were eyeing a move that would reallocate $2.5 million in local Coastal Impact Assistance Funds to road paving after negotiations with property owners broke down.

Commissioner Frank Burt said the landowners requested that the county move forward in tandem with the state's CIAP program -- a requirement that the commission rejected.

(This post was updated at 1:15 p.m. to include the county'svote to approve the purchase.)